I work in the desert, and when Friday comes, we find that there are only three or four of us, and the nearest mosque is ten kilometers away.
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The questioner : He says: I work in the desert, and when Friday comes, we find that there are only three or four of us, and the nearest mosque is a distance of ten kilometers away. I ask: Is it permissible for the three or four of us to establish the Friday prayer? Please inform us of this.
The Shaykh : The Friday prayer is not permissible to be established in the wilderness, whether the person is a traveler or a resident. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not establish the Friday prayer during his travels. The scholars have mentioned that the desert areas in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not have the Friday prayer established in them; rather, the Friday prayer was established in the villages and cities. Therefore, you, O people, whether you are three, four, or more, the Friday prayer is not obligatory upon you, nor is the Friday prayer valid from you, because your location is not a valid place for the Friday prayer to be established. If such a place were a valid place for the Friday prayer, it would have been established in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because if this place were a place for the Friday prayer, establishing the Friday prayer there would be part of the religion of Allah. And if it is part of the religion of Allah, it must have been established in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and then transmitted to the Ummah, because Allah the Exalted has guaranteed the preservation of His religion. Since it was not established in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him), it is known that it is not part of the religion of Allah, nor part of the Shari'ah of Allah. And if it is not part of the religion of Allah nor His Shari'ah, then if anyone among the people establishes it, it is rejected from him, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1718b You must establish the Zuhr prayer shortened if you are in the ruling of travelers, or completed if you are residents.
The Shaykh : The Friday prayer is not permissible to be established in the wilderness, whether the person is a traveler or a resident. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not establish the Friday prayer during his travels. The scholars have mentioned that the desert areas in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) did not have the Friday prayer established in them; rather, the Friday prayer was established in the villages and cities. Therefore, you, O people, whether you are three, four, or more, the Friday prayer is not obligatory upon you, nor is the Friday prayer valid from you, because your location is not a valid place for the Friday prayer to be established. If such a place were a valid place for the Friday prayer, it would have been established in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because if this place were a place for the Friday prayer, establishing the Friday prayer there would be part of the religion of Allah. And if it is part of the religion of Allah, it must have been established in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and then transmitted to the Ummah, because Allah the Exalted has guaranteed the preservation of His religion. Since it was not established in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him), it is known that it is not part of the religion of Allah, nor part of the Shari'ah of Allah. And if it is not part of the religion of Allah nor His Shari'ah, then if anyone among the people establishes it, it is rejected from him, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):